Cory Morgan: As Parties Weigh Their Political Fortunes, the Needs of Canadians Should Not Be Forgotten

The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 13, 2024. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Commentary

Private members’ bills in the House of Commons are usually tools for opposition parties to bring attention to issues. The bills rarely make it beyond first reading and are seldom passed into law. They are often poorly crafted and unrealistic, as they were created in an act of virtue signalling rather than with an expectation of passing. However, now that the NDP agreement with the minority Liberal government has been terminated, private members’ bills carry significant weight as the government desperately cuts deals to remain in power.

The political intrigue is captivating to watch as a political observer, but it could lead to some terrible policies becoming entrenched as political interests begin to outweigh the needs of Canadians. The Bloc Québécois is demanding that the Liberals support bills C-282 and C-319 in exchange for support during confidence motions. Both of those bills could have a significant negative economic impact on Canada, but there is a real risk that the Liberal government would facilitate the passage of them to maintain control of the House of Commons.

Bill C-319 is a Bloc-sponsored bill to amend the Old Age Security Act. The bill would raise the OAS payments for seniors between the ages of 65–74 by 10 percent. The Liberal government had recently increased the payments for seniors aged 75 and older. While supporting seniors is a laudable goal, everything has a cost. The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates the bill would have a net cost of $16.1 billion over five years. Quebec would benefit the most from such an increase due to the demographic makeup of the province, thus the Bloc push for the bill. If nothing else, the Bloc is always transparent with its mandate to put Quebec first.

The Liberal government has been strongly opposing Bill C-319 as it made its way through the House of Commons. The language from Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk during the debate on the bill was unequivocal in its opposition. Kusmierczyk spoke of how Canadian demographics don’t support the case for the bill, as an increasing number of Canadians have employment income after age 65. He also spoke of a modernization process in progress, and said “it is impossible for us to support Bill C-319.”

But what was apparently impossible for the Liberals to support a year ago could suddenly become possible today. The bill hasn’t changed, nor have Canadian demographics. What changed is the Liberals’ need for allies in the House of Commons to withstand confidence motions. If the Liberals support Bill C-319 after claiming it was impossible to support, it would be a striking example of them putting the interest of their party ahead of Canadians.

It should be noted the Conservatives have been in support of Bill C-319, though it stands contrary to conservative principles of fiscal responsibility. As an election year approaches, they want to curry electoral favour in Quebec. Just as much as the Liberals, they are putting party interest ahead of principle with the bill, but they haven’t mousetrapped themselves with inconsistency on it.

The Conservatives have also largely been supporting Bill C-382, though that bill could have enormous economic consequences for Canada. Bill C-382 would make it impossible for trade negotiators to offer changes in Canada’s supply-managed industries during talks with trade partners. It would handcuff the country and could hurt many export industries. The Canada-US-Mexico Agreement is to be formally reviewed in 2026, and there will surely be demands for changes to supply management policies from Mexico and the USA. If C-382 is passed, Canada wouldn’t even be allowed to entertain discussion of changes, thus putting the country at a tremendous disadvantage in negotiations.

Canada’s dairy supply management policies have been a sticking point in trade talks with other countries for decades. Because those policies strongly favour Quebec’s dairy industry, though, political parties have shied away from changing them.

The Canadian Senate could prove its worth as it has been reluctant to support Bill C-382. The Bloc has been pressuring Trudeau to pressure the Senate to pass the bill. This puts Trudeau in a tough spot, as the argument of having facilitated Senate independence would be shattered if he did so. Will Trudeau sacrifice his carefully crafted narrative of independent senators to pacify the Bloc?

The Liberals, Conservatives, and NDP are all treading carefully with every move designed to favour their political fortunes. Ironically, it’s only the Bloc Québécois who is putting its constituents first. Unfortunately, the Bloc’s demands almost always come at the expense of the rest of Canada.

Parliament is in flux, as the government could fall next month or could last well into next year. Deals are being cut and principles are being compromised.

If the Bloc manages to have its bills passed this session, it will come back with new demands. How far will the parties be willing to go to avoid triggering an election or offending voters in Quebec?

Canada is in for a year of unparalleled political brinkmanship. Unfortunately, it’s also in for a year of terrible policies as parties set aside the interests of Canadians in favour of political pragmatism. Citizens are ultimately the ones stuck with the bill in the end.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.